Fuse holder



L. E. FISHER ETAL FUSE HOLDER Filed Dec. 30, 1940 INVENTORS W, M a

' of the cam slope.

Patented Jan. 13, 1942 FUSE HOLDER Lawrence E. Fisher and William H. Frank, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Bulldog Electric Products Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of West Virginia Application December 30, 1940, Serial No. 372,288 (Cl. 200134) Claims.

This application relates to fuse holders.

An object of the invention is to provide a fuse holder having a spring or clamp for clamping the fuse terminal against a wall or abutment of the holder, with the spring manipulable for varying its clamping pressure. The holder is of such a character as to be free of screws or other loose or removable parts whose loss may be injurious as well as annoying, and is so constructed as not to require flexing of copper parts for obtaining the clamping action. The spring is so constructed that when a fuse is inserted in the 'holder, there will be a scraping coaction between the fuse terminal and the holder, for cleaning of their engaging surfaces.

One embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the appended drawing.

In this drawing,

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are diflerent views of the'embodiment shown.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section.

The drawing shows a fuse holder which comprises an L shaped copper strap it having a base part II and a wall l2 against which is to be scraped and also clamped the terminal H of a fuse l5, there being a U-shaped Wire' spring or clamp l6 whose bight i1 passes through a hole i8 of the wall l2, and under a stop 19, below the lower edge of the terminal H for pivotally mounting the clamp in the wall, stop l9 limiting fuse insertion. One arm of the spring is extended to serve as a handle whereby the spring may be moved manually on its bight as a pivotal axis. The other arm 2! is formed, either as indicated, or in any other suitable manner, for engaging the terminal l4 and pressing it against the wall l2. On that surface of the latter, opposite that which is engaged by the terminal, is formed a cam 22 having a slight slope as indicated and having blocks 23 at its ends. The arm 20 of the clamp is positioned to slide along the sloping portion of the cam 22 and the blocks 23 prevent its overtravel.

The assembly of the spring and strap can be effected very simply, before the strap is secured to the base which mounts it, the mounting of the strap being the only operation necessary to effect the assembly.

Before a fuse is placed in a holder, the spring has been swung to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 so that its arms 20 is at the lowest part The space between the arm minal scrapes along the wall while being inserted, thus providing a cleaning coaction between the terminal and the wall.

Movement of the arm 20 from the dotted line 5 position of Fig. 1 to the full arm position of Fig. 1 causes the arms of the clamp to separate with a spring resistance, thus producing a spring clamping pressure on the terminal, biasing it against the wall I2, an action which may take in place without calling for the movement or flexing of any of the copper parts, namely the terminal l4 and the strap l0.

The clamp I6 is intended to be made of a single length of heavy steel wire, whose degree of l resilience is optional, for greater or lesser spring pressure. In the event spring pressure is desired, or the springspreads so that the actions just described are not performed satisfactorily, nothing more is necessary to restore it to opera- 20 tive shape than for a user to bend the clamp arms towards each other, manually or with the aid or a simple tool such as a pair of pliers,

sufficiently to restore the arms 20 and 2| of the clamp into their desired and originally designed 25 relation.

a roller; or a wear plate may be introduced into To reduce the wearing tendency of the clamp on'the terminal, the arm 2i may be formed to engage the terminal on a line, rather than, as shown, at one point; or it may be formed with to form with it a fuse clip of conventional character for holding the terminal without the help of the clamp, being flexed (without flexing of the rigid wall l2) upon clamp manipulation. The presence of the wear plate in no way alters the important characteristic of the device, the pressing of a terminal against a wall by a clamp, without distortion of copper parts.

, Further, while cam 22-23 is shown as formed integral with the wall, which is desirable from the point of economy of manufacture, it might well be a separate piece, integrally or otherwise secured to the wall.

An important point to be observed-here is that one and the same part, namely wall l2, provides both the surface against which the terminal is pressed and also the surface which cams the clamp to cause the terminal to be pressed against the wall i2, this single wall being the only necessary part of the holder.

Now having described the clamp type fuse holder herein disclosed, reference should be had to the claims which follow for a determination of the invention.

We claim:

1. A fuse holder of the clamp type comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a U shaped clamp whose bight passes through the wall under where the lower edge of the terminal will be, for pivotally mounting the clamp in the wall, and one of whose arms engages the terminal to press it against the wall, and the other of whose arms engage the wall, the wall and terminal being between the clamp arms.

2. A fuse holder of the clamp type comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a U shaped clamp whose bight passes through the wall under where the lower edge of the terminal will be, for pivotally mounting the clamp in the wall, and one of whose arms engages the terminal to press it against the wall, and the other of whose arms engage the wall, the wall and terminal being between the clamp arms, these being formed flexible relative to the wall so that when the clamp moves it flexes for producing a spring clamping pressure on the terminal.

3. A fuse holder of the clamp type comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a U shaped clamp whose bight passes through the wall under where the lower edge of the terminal will be, for pivotally mounting the clamp in the wall, and one of whose arms engages the tenninal to press it against the wall, and the other of whose arms engage the wall, the wall and terminal being between the clamp arms, these and the wall being so formed that when the clamp moves it flexes for producing a spring clamping pressure on the terminal, and means on the wall for so flexing the clamp during its movement.

4. A fuse holder of the clamp'type comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a U shaped clamp whose bight passes through the wall under where the lower edge of the terminal will be, for pivotally mounting the clamp in the wall, and one of whose arms engages the terminal to press it against the wall, and the other of whose arms engage the wall, the wall and terminal being between the clamp arms, these and the wall being so formed that when the clamp moves it flexes for producing a spring clamping pressure on the terminal, and means on the wall for so flexing the clamp during its movement, the means comprising a cam surface along which a clamp arm slides and which moves that clamp arm away from the terminal and wall to move the other towards the terminal and wall, which movement is resisted by the terminal and wall resulting in a spring flexing on the clamp, tending to separate its arms. v

5. A fuse holder of the cliimp type comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a U shaped clamp whose bight passes through the wall under where the lower edge of the terminal will be, for pivotally mountingthe clamp in the wall, and one of whose arms engages the terminal to press it against the wall, and the other of whose arms axis.

6. A fuse holder of the clamp type comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a U shaped clamp whose bight passes through the wall under where the lower edge of the terminal will be, for pivotally mounting the clamp in the wall, and one of whose arms engages the terminal to press it against the wall, and the other of whose arms engage the wall, the wall and terminal being between the clamp arms, these and the wall being so formed that when the clamp moves it flexes for producing a spring clamping pressure on the terminal, the wall and the terminal being of a relatively soft material, such as copper, and the clamp being resilient and springy, whereby all flexing and distortion is in the clamp and none in the wall.

'7. A fuse holder of the clamp type comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a U shaped clamp whose bight passes through the wall under where the lower edge of the terminal will be, for pivotally mounting the clamp in the wall, and one of whose arms engages the terminal to press it against the wall, and the other of whose arms engage the wall, the wall and terminal being between the clamp arms. these and the wall being so formed that when the clamp moves it flexes for producing a spring clamping pressure on the terminal, and means on the wall for so flexing the clamp during its movement, the wall and the terminal being of a relatively soft material, such as copper, and the clamp being resilient and springy, whereby all flexing and distortion is in the clamp and none in the wall.

8. A fuse holder of the clamp type comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a U shaped clamp whose bight passes through the wall under where the lower edge of the terminal will be, for pivotally mounting the clamp in the wall, and one of whose arms engages the terminal to press it against the wall, and the other of whose arms engage the wall, the wall and terminal being between the clamp arms, these and the wall be- ,ing so formed that when the clamp moves it flexes for producing a spring clamping pressure on the terminal, and means on the wall for so flexing the clamp during its movement, the means comprising a cam surface along which a clamp arm slides and which moves that clamp arm away from the terminal and wall to move the other towards the terminal and wall, which movement is resisted by the terminal and wall resulting in a spring flexing on the clamp, tending to separate its arms, the wall and the terminal being of a relatively soft material, such as copper, and the clamp being resilient and springy, whereby all flexing and distortion is in the clamp and none in the wall.

9. A fuse holder comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped, and a movable manipulable clamp for pressing the terminal against the wall, the wall and the terminal being of a relatively soft materi'il. such as copper, and the clamp being resilient and springy, whereby all flexing and distortion is in the clamp and none in the wall.

10. A fuse holder comprising a wall against wh ch a fuse terminal may be scraped and clamped. and a movable manipulable clamp for pressing the terminal against the wall, the wall and the terminal being of a relatively soft material, such as copper, and the clamp being resilient and springy, whereby all flexing and distoraeeasae tion is in the clamp and none in the wall, the clamp being pivotally and non-removably mounted in the wall and formed for manual manipulation without theaid of any tool.

11. A fuse holder comprising a wall against whicha fuse terminal may be biased, to be held held there by the friction between the terminal and wall, and a spring for biasing the terminal towards and against the wall, the spring being manipulable so that in one position its pressure on the terminal will be slight enough to permit terminal removal manually, and in'the other, its pressure on the terminal will be great enough to prevent terminal removal manually.

12. A fuse holder comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be biased, to be held' there by the friction between the terminal and wall, and a spring for biasing the terminal towards and against the wall, the spring being manipulable so that in one position its pressure on the terminal will be slight enough to pernzit terminal removal manually, and in the other,

its pressure on the terminal will be great enough to prevent terminal removal manually, the spring comprising a U shaped heavy wire of steel or the like whose bight passes through the wall, under where the lower edge of the ternfinal will be, and whose arms bear respectively on the unengaged surfaces of the terminal and wall, the latter parts being between the spring arms.

13. A fuse holder comprising a wall against which a fuse terminal may be biased, to be held thereby the friction between the terminal and wall, and a spring for biasing the terminal towards and against the wall, the spring being manpulable so that in one position its pressure on under where the lower edge of the terminal willbe, and whose arms bear respectively on the unengaged surfaces of the terminal and wall, the,

latter parts being between the spring arms, and

a carr on the unengaged wall surface for distort-' ing the spring in its movement moving its arms relatively to vary spring pressure.

14. A fuse holder comprising a wall having opposite faces thereof exposed, and formed as a cam on one face, and with the other face providing a contact surface against which a fuse terminal is to be pressed, a clamp separate from the cam for pressing a fuse terminal against such contact surface, the clamp being movable along and having a part cooperating with the cam so as to be biased in a manner to press a fuse terminal, disposed between a clamp part and the contact surface, against that contact surface.

15. A contact for a fuse terminal comprising a single wall having opposite faces exposed, and formed as a cam on one face and with the other face providing a contact surface, and a movable clamp separate from the cam and operatively associated with the wall and having a part cooperating with' the cam whereby movement of the clamp relative to the wallwill cause a fuse terminal near the contact surface thereof to be clamped or pressed against it.

' LAWRENCE E. FISHER.

WILLIAM H. FRANK. 

